Mechanism of blood brain barrier damage in the pathogenesis of cerebral
small vessel disease
Abstract
Cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD) is the most common cause of vascular
cognitive impairment, affecting all levels of the cerebral vascular
system. It mainly affects the structure and function of arterioles and
capillaries, resulting in the decrease of cerebral perfusion. Due to the
aging of the population, the incidence of CSVD is increasing, but the
root cause of CSVD is not completely clear. Magnetic resonance imaging
confirmed that the destruction of blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an
important feature of CSVD. In physiological state, the main function of
BBB is to establish a controlled environment to maintain relatively
constant levels of hormones and nutrients in the brain. At the same
time, BBB can also block or defend against the invasion of brain toxins
or pathogens that may be caused by circulation, so BBB is an important
anatomical and biochemical barrier of the central nervous system. This
review focuses on the main role and potential mechanism of tight
junction (TJ) of BBB in cerebral microvascular disease.